In A Heartbeat
by KurtandBlaineGleek
Summary: What if the school shooting had been a serious school shooting? What if it took them being in danger to realize who you really loved? What if it might be too late to tell them? My take on the events of 4x18. Spoilers! Rated for violence. Drama, Hurt/Comfort, and Tragedy would be the third, fourth, and fifth genres.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story will be based on the most recent episode and will be angsty, dramatic, and eventually romantic. I'm taking the shooting to a much more serious level here and it will probably be multi-chapter. Don't know yet. We'll see. This story definitely contains spoilers for Shooting Star so do not read it if you haven't seen the episode yet. Also, with the seriousness of the story, I recommend not reading it if it triggers you. I have experienced a lockdown at school due to the threat of a weapon on campus when I was a high school senior so I understand the level of seriousness and this will not be taken lightly. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Glee.**

* * *

It seemed as the though the clock was ticking away both very slowly and very quickly. How much time had passed?

Blaine distinctively raised his head to look at the clock on the wall in the choir room. Had really only two minutes gone by since the last time he looked at it? It seemed like ages ago. Of course, Blaine had his cell phone but he didn't dare pull it out, for fear that it would go off, alerting the shooter to the presence in the choir room.

Most of New Directions were crowded in there with him, accompanied by Mr. Schue and Coach Beiste. But there were two people missing. Brittany was apparently in the bathroom and it took all of the two teachers' strength to keep Sam from going after her. Tina…well Blaine didn't know where his best girlfriend was and he'd be lying if he said he was scared shitless for her safety.

The Cheerio tensed suddenly as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He wanted so bad to know who it was and let them know that he was okay. But he was afraid to pull it out. What the shooter had good hearing and heard just the rustle of clothing through the locked door as Blaine reached into his pocket to pull out the phone? That was extreme thinking, he knew but right now, Blaine was way too frightened to think rationally.

But he was holding up a very convincing calm demeanor.

Suddenly, there was a pounding on the door. "I know you're in there you mindless drones of overjolly jinglers!" spat a voice that was obviously disguised. Whomever the shooter was, they were going to great lengths to keep their identity a secret.

The handle of the door jiggled, the shooter testing the lock. When they found the door wouldn't give, a moment of silence passed and Blaine found himself hoping that they had given up and walked on.

No such luck.

Only a moment later, the sound of yet another gunshot, followed by the shattering of glass rang out through the choir room. Blaine stared in horror as a hand shot through the now broken window of the choir room door closest to him, reaching in to turn the lock.

And then the door was kicked open and the masked shooter barged into the room, gun pointed in front of them.

"Nobody move, or I'll shoot!" the figure shouted, voice still disguised. But Blaine heard the distinct speech impediment and noting the shooter's small squat stature, was able to put two and two together and realization went off in his head like a lightbulb.

Becky.

Becky Jackson was the shooter.

The senior stared at her, completely frozen but not in fear. He was frozen in complete confusion. Whatever had happened to Becky that she thought she had to result to this? Had Coach Sylvester put her up to this? Blaine shook that thought immediately. As vicious a woman as Sue Sylvester was, he knew she would never encourage a student to threaten the lives of others.

Becky turned her head in the direction of Blaine, noting Sam and Artie sitting closest to him, all three gathered on the floor behind the piano, with Blaine resting against it and Sam and Artie against the wall opposite him and the piano.

Momentarily, the shooter shot her gaze past the three of them, still holding the gun pointed ahead of her. A little further down that wall in the choir room, were Marley, Jake, and Ryder. And in a far corner across the room were Kitty and Wade.

Becky's gaze drifted back to Blaine and out of the corner of his eye, Blaine could see Mr. Schue and Coach Beiste in their spot next the door Becky had just come through.

"You!" Becky spat, turning her gun directly on Blaine. Blaine gulped, eyes staring unblinkingly down the barrel of the gun in her hand. "Come with me!" Blaine knew he didn't have any choice. When in a potential hostage situation or a robbery, the safest course of action was to follow every one of the suspect orders without complaint. It gave you the highest chance of survival. Never try to play the hero. That was the stupidest thing you could do.

Blaine started to shakily get up as his phone buzzed in his pocket yet again. Sam reached out a hand and grabbed a hold of Blaine's wrist, intending to stop him.

"Blaine, don't," the blonde boy pleaded and Blaine could see he was shaking. Blaine moved to gently pry Sam's hand from his wrist, opening his mouth to say something to him. But Becky cut him off, hastily turning the gun on Sam and firing. The shot narrowly missed his arm, lodging the bullet into the wall just centimeters from him. Cries rang out in the choir room and Sam sat frozen in fear, shaking uncontrollably, knowing he had nearly been shot.

"Next time," Becky spat, "I won't miss." And Sam didn't doubt that for a second. He dropped his hand from Blaine's wrist and curled in on himself. "Come on! Now!" Becky went on, turning her attention back on Blaine.

Swallowing heavily, the Cheerio stood completely and shakily moved to stand beside her. She shoved him behind her.

"Don't you think taking a personal hostage is a little extreme?" Mr. Schue tried to reason. Obviously, as smart as he was about this situation so far, even the choir teacher couldn't think straight. Without a second thought, Becky pointed the gun at him and fired, the bullet making contact with Mr. Schue's shoulder and causing people in the room to scream and the teacher to collapse to the floor, clutching his shoulder.

"Anyone else wanna play the hero?" Becky snapped, pointing her gun around the room. No one moved. But she seemed to have another moment of sudden decision and the barrel of the gun landed on Marley. The sophomore shook with fear and tears. When Becky spoke again, it was to Jake beside her. "Come with me if you want her to get out of this unscathed," she spat.

It took Blaine only a moment to realize what this was about. He might have been a random choice, he wasn't sure yet. But Jake was not chosen at random. Jake was Puck's younger brother and Puck had kindly escorted Becky to the senior prom the previous year. He'd treated her the best any guy ever had. She must harbor some sort of resentment for it not going anywhere after that.

Jake didn't need telling twice and he certainly did not want Marley's life in danger. He quickly scrambled to his feet and moved to stand beside Blaine behind Becky.

Becky began backing up, pushing the two boys behind her out the door. As a last act of insanity in the choir room, she suddenly went trigger happy and fired off several bullets in all directions. Blaine and Jake both heard screams of terror and shrieks of pain and Jake's initiative was to run back in and try to stop it, but Blaine grabbed a strong hold on the younger boy's arm.

"Don't. Playing the hero is the easiest way to get yourself killed," he said. Once again, his phone was buzzing in his pocket. Once again, he didn't dare pull it out to see who it was. There was no telling what Becky would do.

And then she was there, shoving the gun into the back of his head. "Walk," she said coldly. Blaine swallowed and did as she said. Jake didn't take any chances. The gun may not be pointing at his head but he knew fairly well that if he made one wrong move, it very well could be.

* * *

Kurt paced the apartment, cell phone in his hand as he dialed and redialed Blaine's number. Santana and Rachel both sat on the couch watching him with identical expressions of worry. The TV was on in the background, a live news coverage on the screen. The headline captioned across the bottom stated "School shooting in progress at McKinley High in Lima, Ohio". Kurt had never been more scared in his life.

Blaine was there. Blaine was in the midst of all that. When searching the crowds of students that had safely evacuated the school, the only one of their friends they had seen was Tina. And she confirmed that the rest of the Glee Club had to be inside the school still, after a brief interview with a news reporter.

Blaine was still inside. Blaine was at the threat of a shooter. Blaine was not answering Kurt's calls or texts. Blaine could be hurt. Or worse, dead. Kurt didn't want to think of that. He couldn't.

"Blaine, please pick up," he mewled out in a worried tone as he redialed Blaine's number for what felt like the hundredth time. He was shaking. Tears were welling in his eyes as he feared the worst. What if Blaine was gone and Kurt never had the chance to tell him that he really did mean everything to him and he couldn't live without him?

Kurt suddenly dropped the phone as realization hit him like a tidal wave. Blaine was it for him. He couldn't be with anyone else. And it had taken the threat of Blaine's very life for him to make that connection. Now, it might be too late. The only one of their friends they knew was safe for sure was Tina. There was no words on the others.

"Kurt?" Rachel asked quietly. His head turned sharply in her direction and he finally allowed the tears to fall, pushing their way out of his eyes and down his cheeks. Rachel stood up and pulled him into a hug. Kurt clung to her as he sobbed into her shoulder.

Santana didn't hesitate as she stood and enwrapped both of them. "It will be okay Kurt." Now you knew the situation was bad when Santana Lopez was actually calling you by your name instead of one of her infamous nicknames. Her voice trembling though as she said it and Kurt knew that she was just as worried about Brittany as he was about Blaine.

Kurt did everything he could to try and think positive, try and hold himself together, but it was the hardest thing he had ever had to do. He pulled out of the hug and bent down to pick up the phone. With trembling fingers, he dialed a familiar number and shakily pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hey kid," the voice on the other line picked up, sounding rather solemn instead of cheery as he usually did.

"Dad?" Kurt questioned in a trembling voice.

"I take it you know what's going on at McKinley," Burt Hummel stated, voice still solemn.

Kurt nodded before remembering that his dad couldn't see him. "Yes." There was a pause in which Kurt broke down again. "Oh dad, Blaine's still in there and I can't…I just can't!" he cried. "He's not answering his phone and…" He trailed off as he dissolved into tears over the phone.

Burt let his son cry for a few minutes before he spoke again, trying to keep his voice calm and trying to be reassuring. "He'll be okay Kurt. Don't jump to conclusions. They already have a swat team scouring the school." Kurt took a few deep breaths and shook his head violently, biting his lip and missing the knock on the front door.

"I know, but…" he started, not sure what else to say. His dad was right. He needed to stay positive but it was so very hard.

"Kurt?" said a voice and he turned, hand still holding the phone to his ear. Adam was standing just inside the doorway, Rachel having apparently let him in. For the first time, Kurt felt the strong urge to tell his current boyfriend just to go away. He didn't want to see him and this wasn't any of Adam's business.

"Dad, I'll call you back later," he croaked out into the phone. Without waiting for a reply from Burt, he hung up and narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here Adam?" he said, surprising himself and everyone else in the apartment at how cold his voice sounded.

Adam was taken aback by Kurt's sudden coldness. He swallowed a lump that started to form in his throat and took several cautious steps toward him. Kurt held his ground, eyes narrowing ever more as Adam came closer.

"I heard what was happening and thought you could use some comfort," the British man replied. Kurt just stared at him. Adam swallowed again and went on. "McKinley, it was your high school right? I know you didn't have the best experience there but you still have friends in that school so I figured…" He trailed off, biting his lip and shaking just slightly. He hadn't expected this kind of response from Kurt.

Kurt was still clutching the phone in his hand. He sighed heavily, shutting his eyes for a moment. "I appreciate the concern Adam," he said finally. "But if I'm being honest, this thing, us," he went on, gesturing between the two of them. "Isn't working out. I'm sorry, but I can't do it. I think you should leave."

Rachel and Santana exchanged glances with each other and Adam looked slightly defeated.

"It's Blaine, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

Kurt didn't even hesitate. "Yes. I tried to move on from him Adam. I really did. But I can't. He's my soulmate. And now…I might lose him." His voice was very quiet by the end, dropped low to a whisper.

It was clear that Adam was hurt, but always being the sweetheart he was, he carefully approached Kurt and drew him into a friendly hug. Kurt didn't pull away but allowed himself to sink into Adam's embrace. It was like kind of a good-bye.

"I understand Kurt," Adam said when he had pulled out of the hug. "You will have him back. Blaine loves you if any of the things you've shared with me involving him are any indication. He won't let himself get hurt for your sake. He'll be okay," he told him.

Kurt sniffed and nodded his head. "Thank you," he whispered. Adam reached out and gave his hand a squeeze before turning and walking back toward the door. "Adam?" Kurt spoke up, causing the British man to look back at him. "Can you stay? For moral support?" Adam gave him a soft smile.

"Of course Kurt." A tiny smile flitted across Kurt's face before he lifted his phone and redialed Blaine's number yet again.

* * *

Becky forced them down the hall and into the auditorium, where she made them walk up the stairs and congregate backstage. She directly them onto two chairs, all the while keeping the gun pointed at the back of Blaine's head. It was as she was beginning to tie them up that Blaine's phone went off again.

"What's that?" Becky spat, dropping the rope she had been using to tie Jake to the chair.

"M-my cell phone," Blaine replied, trying to keep his resolve. Becky raised the gun and pointed it at him again.

"Answer it," she ordered. Blaine stared at her in surprise. "Answer it!" she repeated, cocking the gun and preparing to pull the trigger. Blaine swiftly pulled the phone out of his pocket and briefly glanced at the caller ID, feeling all the color drain from his face as he realized who it was.

With shaking hands, Blaine tapped the accept button and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hi Kurt."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger but it needed to happen to keep you all on the edge of your seats! This is my take on if Becky had been serious about using that gun in a shooting scenario and the cause of the first gunshots to not have been accidental. This will be serious so please do not read if you don't feel you can handle it. Reviews make me smile! Happy reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Figured since so many of you have decided to follow this story, I'd write another chapter today. Remember, subject matter is not to be taken lightly. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't now, nor have I ever owned Glee. I technically don't completely own the plot as I have taken it from the show and altered it to my own headcanon.**

* * *

All was weirdly quiet in the choir room as no one dared to move. People had hid their eyes what with shooting of rapidly fired bullets peeling through the room. And with the exception of Mr. Schue, whom Coach Beiste had immediately tended to when he had collapsed after being shot, no one knew who all had been injured. They were too scared to look.

Was Brittany okay? Was Tina okay? God, were Blaine and Jake okay? They were the two being held hostage. And while they new Brittany was in the bathroom, no one had a clue where Tina was.

Coach Beiste was unscathed from the rapid gunfire. She'd pulled Mr. Schue back into their safe haven and was attempting to apply pressure to wound in his shoulder with just her hands. They were covered in blood.

To their horror, when they took the risk of finally seeing the damage, it was to find that three more of their own had been shot. One had an injury that was not life threatening but would prevent them from moving anywhere on their own. One was in critical condition. And the third was completely unresponsive.

Sam had ripped the plaid over shirt he'd been wearing from him and painstaking tied it around his left calf as tight as he could, attempting to staunch the blood flow from the wound where one of the bullets had made contact with his leg.

Wade was white as a sheet as she bent over Kitty, with her hands pressed firmly to the blonde's stomach. Blood seeped out between Wade's fingers. Kitty was barely conscious but was holding her own against the critical wound in her stomach. Though if she didn't receive medical attention soon, her prognosis looked bleak.

And Marley had turned her head to find Ryder slumped against her. He was unresponsive completely and a trembling hand had revealed blood matted in the hair of the far side of his head.

Pulling her hand away in still cold fear, Marley shrieked at the red substance smeared all over her fingers. Ryder had clearly been shot in the head. He was already unresponsive. Even if he was still alive, there was likely no hope for him.

"Ryder…" Marley choked out. Sam looked over. His eyes went wide.

"No…" the blonde boy whispered. He wanted to crawl over and inspect the damage but two things stopped him. The first being the fact that he would have to get over Artie to reach Ryder. The second, his leg was wounded and he was getting enough pain just from keeping it straight.

Both the teachers were kind of incapacitated, what with Mr. Schue injured and Coach Beiste trying to staunch the flow.

Footsteps were heard outside the room and everyone held their breath fearing that the shooter had returned for more of them. But the person who entered the choir room, limping from an obvious wound to the foot, though still as determined as ever, was Coach Sylvester. And she was armed with a first aid kit.

"All right, which of you tuneful giraffe needs medical attention?"

"Sue?" Mr. Schue managed to say from his place on the floor. He had raised a hand to press against his own shoulder. Coach Beiste stood up and Sue looked to her.

"Will's been shot in the shoulder," Coach Beiste said.

"I have a leg wound," Sam croaked out.

"Kitty needs medical attention!" Wade called from across the room. Sue looked over with wide eyes, noting Kitty's very weak responses due to loss of blood. She quickly tossed a heavy towel at Wade.

"Get that on her stomach and continue to apply pressure. Paramedics should be on their way. There's already a swat team in the school. They'll get the shooter." She looked around at them all, for the first time seemingly worried about the batch of kids she'd always hated, except for the ones who were her Cheerios. And then she spotted Ryder.

Surprisingly careful so as not to step on Sam or Artie, Sue made her way quickly over to the unconscious boy and the emotionally wrecked Marley and dropped down. She pressed two fingers to Ryder's neck.

"His pulse is still there, but it's very faint." She looked torn. She couldn't let this boy die but neither did she want to see Kitty die. Hell, she didn't want to see any of these kids die. They were so much more important to her than the fact that she'd been shot in the foot, even if Becky had fired that shot accidentally as Sue was the one person she really wouldn't hurt.

But the point was, Ryder was in even worse condition than Kitty. Kitty had a higher chance of survival. Ryder had been shot in the head. It was a wonder he was even still alive at all. Normally a shot like that would be fatal instantly. Sue guessed it was the angle at which the bullet was lodged into his head that kept him hanging on, if only by a thin thread.

It was then that she noticed four people were missing. "Where's Brittany, Asian, young Bert Reynolds, and mohawk's brother?" she asked.

Artie was the one who answered her. "Brittany's trapped in a bathroom, no one knows where Tina is, and Blaine and Jake have been taken hostage by the shooter."

Sue stood up, limping back over Artie and Sam. "If Asian isn't here, she may have been one of the students evacuated. As for Brittany, and the other two, I'll find them." She started to head out and handed Coach Beiste the first aid kit. "Do what you can until the paramedics get her Shannon." Her eyes went to Wade. "You keep that compress on Kitty's stomach." Flicking her eyes down to Marley, she said, "Keep an eye on his pulse if you can." And then she limped back out of the choir room.

* * *

The moment Kurt heard Blaine's voice on the other end of the line, he was so relieved that he lost his ability to stand and fell back onto the couch.

"Blaine you're alive!" he squeaked. Rachel and Santana looked greatly relieved at this news. That meant there was hope for their friends. "Please tell you're okay, that you're not hurt, oh Blaine please!"

The senior bit back a sob over the sound of Kurt's frantic voice on the other end of the line. He stared at Becky who was looking at him pointedly. She gestured with the gun for him to go on.

"I'm okay Kurt. Shaken, but not hurt." He but his lip. Was there a way he could possibly indicate his current situation without Becky catching on to what he was doing?

"My dad said they have a swat team scouring the school," Kurt replied, his voice relieved though kind of choked up.

"Swat team?" Blaine questioned. Visibly, he could see Becky tense up and before Kurt could reply, she'd snatched the phone from his hand and placed it to her ear.

"Now you listen here Kurt Hummel," she said, disguising her voice as she had been though Kurt, like Blaine was able to pick up on the clues to who it was speaking. No matter how hard she tried, Becky's speech impediment was not something she could easily mask. "You make sure they call that swat team off or Blainey here will get a nice present in his chest."

Kurt swallowed on the other end of the line. Becky, resorting to blackmail? That just wasn't like her. He drew a trembling breath and locked his eyes on the three other occupants in the apartment.

"Becky, I'm in New York. I have nothing to do with the swat team. I'm just worried about my friends," he said. Blaine saw Becky freeze

Suddenly, she became slightly vulnerable for a moment. "Don't tell the police who I am. Please…" she begged and Blaine managed to exchange a look with Jake. But all too soon she had overcome her vulnerability. "That's not my problem Hummel. Figure something out or Blaine dies!"

Blaine swallowed hard as Becky hung up the phone and threw it harshly into his lap.

"Don't answer it again," she spat. She went back to the process of tying Jake up and the proceeded to tie up Blaine. Finally, she took a seat on a third chair and just sat there watching them, gun pointed directly at Blaine. The Cheerio had no idea why he seemed to be her number one target. He had to find a way out of this.

Kurt had immediately leaped up from the couch and started racing to throw stuff into a bag. He was not taking any chances. He was calling the airport on his way out the door, booking the first flight to Ohio. Rachel, Santana, and Adam followed him out.

The point was someone had to rescue Blaine and he was going to be the one to do it. There was just one question.

How was he going to get into the school?

* * *

Blaine was not sure how much time had passed. But it was eerily quiet in the school, though that may have been mostly because they were backstage with no means of hearing anything else. He supposed Becky was confident that backstage in the auditorium would be one place the swat team wouldn't think to look.

Becky seemed to get bored after some time though and lowered the gun. Blaine wondered if she was going to let them go and just give herself up. No such luck.

She stood from the seat, marched right up to him and with difficulty due to the ropes, pulled his cheerleading shirt from his body and carelessly tossed it further backstage.

"What are you doing?" he asked horrified. Not that he had a problem going shirtless. But this was really kind of disturbing. Becky was sick or not right in her mind right than. Not that he would have been okay with it if she wasn't.

"Relax," she dripped in sarcasm. And Blaine did the exact opposite. He tensed, but mostly because Becky had pulled a knife from her pocket. She was now tracing the contours of his chest with the blade. Blaine swallowed. What the hell was she doing? "Let's see, one cut," she said, slashing the knife across the right side of his chest and drawing a long thin cut, causing Blaine to hiss. "For every time you talk to or mention Kurt."

"But you told me to answer that call!" Blaine protested. Becky slashed the knife across his chest again.

"Don't talk back to me hobbit!" she spat. She got up and picked up the gun again, marching back over to him and shoving the gun in his face. "One wrong move Anderson and I will fire this gun in your mouth. Do I make myself clear?" He nodded swiftly. "Good."

Becky's attention turned to Jake. She threw him a phone. "Call your brother." He stared at her. "NOW!" she shouted.

Jake hurriedly dialed Puck's number.

"Hello?" Puck answered on the second ring. Jake looked at Becky, not knowing what she wanted from him.

She pressed the gun against his temple. "Tell him if he wants to see you alive again, he's to meet me on the rooftop in an hour." Jake stared at her for a moment, not sure what she had in mind. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Blaine nod his head hastily.

Jake swallowed and picked his lips. "Puck," he said in a surprisingly small voice. "The shooter…the shooter says if you want to see me alive again, meet them on the school rooftop in an hour."

Becky cocked the gun and Jake whimpered. "Good, now hang up."

"W-what?" Jake asked in a trembling voice. Becky placed her finger on the trigger. She was ready to pull it.

"I said, hang up." So he did. He hung up the phone without giving Puck the opportunity to reply.

Becky snatched the phone from him and threw it carelessly away. But Blaine was already working on formulating a plan. If she wanted Puck to meet her on the roof in an hour, she would have to leave her hostages unattended. Unless, she planned on taking them with her, that would be their window of opportunity to escape. Somehow though, Blaine doubted that she would have issues thinking it would be okay to leave them behind.

* * *

**A/N: So, Sue is injured, no word on Brittany, Ryder and Kitty are both in critical condition, Blaine had been cut, Puck blackmailed, and Kurt is on his way to Lima. What's going to happen now? Can they rescue everyone? Will Ryder and Kitty be okay? Stay tuned for more. Reviews make me smile! And save characters from imminent doom. Happy reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Since so many people have decided to follow this story, which I'm very flattered by, you get chapter three. To the person who asked if I knew how long this was going to be, I'll PM you too just in case you don't see this but no, I don't know how long it'll be yet. When I started it, the idea randomly popped into my head yesterday when reading a one-shot on S&C. It's possible that I might figure out a timeline for it later though. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Glee. If I did though, it would be awesome!**

* * *

Over the flight to Ohio, Kurt had formulated a plan of action. If he was going to rescue Blaine, he needed to get inside the school. Knowing that a swat team was already prowling around the premises, Kurt knew that meant the cops were there and they surely wouldn't let anyone in, so he knew he needed a plan.

For the first time in his life, he squealed tires as he shot toward Lima and McKinley in the rental car. He knew what he was going to do. And he'd be damned if this didn't prove that he could play any role he wanted.

Kurt peeled into the parking of McKinley and took a moment to get into character. He grabbed his bag from the backseat and unzipped it, pulling out a leather jacket nobody knew he even had. He wouldn't normally wear one like this. But this was a role he had to play and might be the only way he could get into the school.

Sliding the jacket on, Kurt opened the glove compartment, pulling out a .35 millimeter handgun and shuddering as his fingers closed around the weapon. He had purchased it on route to Lima. After all, he couldn't exactly play a cop without having a gun. Being weapon less was sure to make the actual cops question his story.

Taking a deep breath, Kurt got out of the car, double checking that the safety was on the gun before sliding it into his pocket, barrel first.

He straightened up and walked with confidence toward the caution an police barrier where there were still students gathered and frantic parents stood fighting with the cops.

He spotted Tina, who made to rush toward him but he quickly shook his head and held finger to his lips, indicating the gun sticking out of his pocket. She seemed to get the message and pretended to not have seen him.

Kurt approached one of the cops and reached into an inner pocket of his jacket, pulling out a realistic looking badge which he had also purchased on route to Lima from the Columbus airport.

"Officer Harper of the Columbus police department," he introduced himself to the cop, praying that they didn't later look him up. There had been an Officer Harper in the Columbus police department once upon a time. His grandfather on his mother's side had been in the Columbus police department and his last name was Harper. So it wasn't like Kurt was lying. Just behind the times.

"Officer West, Lima PD," the cop replied shaking Kurt's hand. "You must be part of the reinforcement they sent over."

This might be easier than Kurt thought. He nodded. "Yes. I'm a fresh face to the force so they thought this would be a good way to start getting my feet wet. I'm willing to enter the school. I'm familiar with its layout."

The cop regarded him for a moment. "You sure you're ready for this kid?" Kurt nodded. "You have a gun on you?" Kurt pulled the handgun from his pocket. "Very well, here," Officer West went on, handing him a swat team jacket. "This way any innocents still inside will know you're a cop."

Kurt took the jacket gratefully and pulled it on, discarding his own leather jacket. The cop handed him a helmet. It took all of Kurt's strength not to break character by freaking out about what the helmet would do to his hair. He reluctantly put it on his head.

Officer West clapped him on the back. "Good luck kid," he said.

Kurt took a deep breath and made his way into the school.

* * *

Back in New York, Rachel, Santana, and Adam were standing in front of the TV, watching the news coverage.

"Is that Kurt?" Rachel asked suddenly, noting a new swat cop heading into the school behind the reporter on the screen.

Santana grabbed the remote and paused the picture. The girl had never been so relieved that Kurt and Rachel had DVR. She leaned closer and peered at the swat cop.

"That's Kurt all right. I'd know those Doc Martin's anywhere," she said. And then she let out a sharp gasp. "He's got a gun in his hand."

"What the hell?" Rachel cried, paling significantly.

Adam was silent for a moment. "He's pretending to be cop," he said. They both looked at him. "He needed some way to get into the school. They aren't letting any other frantic loved ones in. Why would they make an exception for him?"

Rachel stared at the screen, worry clenching her features. "Oh Kurt, please just be careful."

* * *

An hour had passed since the phone call to Puck. Becky worked at untying the ropes binding Blaine and Jake to the chairs. She again shoved the barrel of the gun into the back of Blaine's head.

"Walk, both of you," she said sharply. And they did, Blaine still shirtless as she hadn't allowed him his Cheerios shirt back. Dried blood now ran down his chest from the cuts she'd made to it with the knife.

Becky walked behind them, urging them forward with the gun shoved to the back of Blaine's head. They knew where to go.

Blaine and Jake fearfully and quietly lead the way up to the rooftop. Puck was already there to both their relief. Becky pulled the gun from the back of Blaine's head and grabbed Jake around the shoulders, pressing the barrel to his temple.

"All right Puckerman!" she spat, causing Puck to turn around and stare wide-eyed. "Glad to see you were smart enough to show up!"

"Let him go!" Puck was looking distinctly at the gun pressed to his younger brother's temple. His eyes drifted to Blaine and he cringed when he saw the wounds on the other boy's chest. "Let them both go!"

Becky roared with laughter. "Not a chance. I need you to so something for me, Puckerman!" she said. She nodded to a pole that stood on the edge of the roof, with barely any ledge for stability. Still holding Jake around the shoulders, she gestured to the rope on the ground with the gun before placing it back to Jake's temple. She had obviously prepared for this. "I want you to tie the hobbit to that pole."

Puck's eyes went wide and he shook his head frantically. "Are you nuts?! What if the rope slips and he falls? I'm not putting Blaine in danger!" Not to mention Kurt would probably kill him whether he did it on his own regard or not.

But Becky was prepared for that response. She cocked the gun and placed her hand on the trigger. "I said, tie the hobbit to the pole Puckerman," she repeated in a dangerous voice. Puck swallowed and looked over at Blaine who nodded his head.

"Do what she says Puck," the senior whispered though Puck heard him anyway.

Against his better judgment, Puck grabbed Blaine by the wrist and pulled him to the pole. "Backwards!" Becky shouted. Puck looked at her. "Tie him facing the pole so he really see what's behind him." Of course that would just be open air and drop off the ledge.

Puck helped Blaine stand on what little ledge there was and grabbed his hands, wrapping them around the pole before tying his wrists together reluctantly. If Blaine slipped, he'd be hanging from the pole. And then it would be a matter of time before his weight pulled the knots of the rope lose and he would fall.

"I apologize if I hurt you but the tighter I do this, the longer it will hold of you slip off. I want to make sure we provide enough time for someone to come to the rescue if you happen to slip," Puck said, solemnly. Blaine cringed at the tightness of the knots but nodded his head. He understood what Puck was getting at and though hurt, he knew it was for the best.

"Don't worry, I have great balance. Jumping on furniture helps," he replied, pulling a small smile from Puck.

"You're going to be okay Blaine, I promise," Puck replied.

"Get over here Puckerman!" Becky shouted. Puck moved away and back to Becky and his brother. "Come with me!" she spat.

Puck knew he didn't have much of a choice. Becky lead him and Jake, with the gun still pressed to Jake's temple, to the other side of the roof where they couldn't see Blaine. She ordered them both to sit down on opposite sides of the air vent hatch in the ground before proceeding to tie them to it.

"I will be back! Don't even think about trying to escape!" she warned before flouncing off.

"It's Becky," Puck said.

"Huh?" Jake questioned from the other side of the vent.

"The shooter. It's Becky."

Jake was quiet for a moment. "Oh, yeah."

Neither of them said anything. Jake's mind was preoccupied with how the others were doing in the choir room. Puck was trying to formulate a plan and hoping that someone would see Blaine on that ledge and order someone up there to rescue him.

What Puck didn't know was that Becky had indeed mapped this out beforehand. The pole that Blaine was tied to was on the far side of the school, away from the front entrance and parking lot so all that lay below him was a city street. The only chance of people finding out his situation was if someone driving along that street saw him and alerted the authorities. That was a very slim chance for two reasons. One, drivers would be more prone to keeping their eyes on the road so why they would bother looking in Blaine's direction remained to be seen, meaning a passenger would have to see him. And two, the street in question was very rarely used. So Blaine was quite possibly out of luck.

* * *

Kurt's first instinct when he got inside was to go directly to the choir room. He could get information on what had happened to Blaine. The most he knew was that Becky had him with her and if she was the shooter and holding Blaine hostage, then Blaine was in high danger.

He passed the girl's bathroom on his way to the choir room and came to a stop when he heard sobbing coming from inside. Keeping the gun raised he slowly opened the door.

"Hello?" he questioned quietly.

"Dolphin?" came the choked reply. Brittany. It was Brittany. Kurt dropped the gun in slight relief.

"Yeah Brit," he replied. She opened the stall door and threw herself into his arms. He hugged her tightly, grateful that she wasn't wondering what he was even doing there. "Come on, let's get you to the choir room." He wasn't going to take any chances by leading her out of the school. Not now. If he was leading anyone out, it would be in best numbers.

He carefully pulled her out of the bathroom and down the hall. But his heart clenched when they reached the choir room and a paramedic was wheeling Kitty out on a gurney. Brittany drew a gasp of air. A second gurney came rolling out with Sam sitting up on it.

"Sam!" Brittany cried, running to the boy and throwing her arms around his neck. Swat team members were keeping guard around the paramedics so they could get the injured students out safely. It took a bit to pry Brittany away from and para endive had to promise to take her with them. She waved to Kurt as she followed the gurney, clutching Sam's hand.

Kurt was about to enter the choir room when a third gurney exited, Mr. Schue on top, towels strapped to his shoulder and stained red.

"Mr. Schue," Kurt mumbled in a broken whisper. Mr. Schue looked over at him and his eyes went wide as he realized the swat cop looking at him in pain was actually Kurt. Kurt shook his head frantically, trying to convey to Mr. Schue not to blow his cover. Mr. Schue nodded and the gurney rolled away.

But the most heartbreaking thing was the fourth gurney that came out and Kurt's breath hitched. It was a body bag. Someone was…dead. No, no that couldn't be. Who was in that bag? Oh God, Kurt wasn't sure he wanted to know. One of his friends was dead. Someone he knew was dead. He swallowed.

It took Kurt several moments to collect his resolve. He had nearly forgotten that he was undercover as a cop and if he blew that, there could be serious consequences. He stepped into the choir room, noting that there were no more gurneys. Four people still remained in the room. Artie, Marley, Wade, and Coach Beiste. Marley was sobbing uncontrollably, Artie was sitting there with an unreadable expression on his face, Wade was white as a sheet which was saying something given her skin color, and Coach Beiste just looked distraught.

Carefully shutting the door, Kurt moved into the room and took the swat helmet off.

"Kurt?" Artie questioned stunned. Kurt looked at him and swallowed, trying to garner all his strength. He was ruling things out in his head. Tina was safe outside. Brittany was going with Sam to the hospital. Sam was alive but injured. Kitty was still alive but apparently in critical condition. Mr. Schue, like Sam, was alive but injured. Blaine was being held hostage by Becky somewhere. Artie, Wade, Marley, and Coach Beiste were all here unharmed in the choir room. That left only two people that could have been in that body bag.

"Who was it?" he asked, surprising himself with how calm his voice came out.

Marley cried harder. "Ryder…he…he…" She couldn't finish what she was saying as she buried her face in her hands and continued to cry.

"Ryder got shot in the head," Artie said. "He was still alive for a bit but when the paramedics got here…" He trailed off and Kurt got the point. Artie seemed to find his voice. "Blaine and Jake were taken hostage by the shooter, Brittany's in the bathroom, and we don't know where Tina is."

Kurt nodded, clutching the gun in his hand tighter. "Brittany's on her way to the hospital with Sam. I found her on my way here. Tina's safe outside. She was evacuated with the rest of the school." The rest of them looked relieved to know that the two of them were all right. "I knew Blaine was taken hostage. I kept trying to call him and when he finally answered, the shooter grabbed his phone mid-call. Told me to call off the swat team or she'd kill him." Artie looked horrified. "I didn't know Jake was taken too. But I wasn't taking any chances so I hopped a plane and came out here."

A slow clapping sound met their ears and they all turned to see the shooter now standing in the choir room doorway. Apparently, they hadn't heard the door open.

"Isn't that just genius Porcelain," she said. "Couldn't have said it better myself. And how brilliant of you pretending to be a cop to get into the school and rescue your precious Blaine."

Kurt's eyes narrowed. "Where is he?" he said harshly.

"Hanging out on a ledge," Becky replied nonchalantly, shrugging. "But I have only one thing to say to you Hummel."

"What?" Kurt asked.

"Night night," she replied. And before he could react, Becky raised her gun and fired.

* * *

**A/N: Don't hate me! I know you must hate me more for leaving you hanging with a bullet flying at Kurt than the fact that I killed Ryder. But the fact is, people do die in a school shooting and I thought it might bother people less if it wasn't one of the characters we're all so firmly attached to. Does that make me mean? Anyway, Blaine's hanging out on a ledge, Kurt's plan was rather clever, and Jake and Puck have been left tied to an air vent. Will Kitty live? Will those still inside get out safely? Stay tuned! Another chapter coming later. Reviews make me smile and might get Ryder a reprieve. Yes, that is possible but I'm not saying how. Happy reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I decided I couldn't be mean and leaving you hanging for too long with a bullet flying at Kurt. So here is chapter four! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I wish I did own Glee but of course, I don't.**

* * *

_"Night night," she replied. And before he could react, Becky raised her gun and fired._

The next few moments were a complete blur for everyone in the choir room. Marley screamed, Artie stared in horror as at the same time, the bullet seemed to fly in slow motion. Wade turned even whiter if that were possible. But Coach Beiste, Coach Beiste did the most courageous thing of them all.

Without thinking, the football coach launched herself in front of Kurt, just as he fired his own gun back at Becky, narrowly missing Kurt's shot but taking the bullet meant for him directly to the chest.

Kurt stumbled backward and watched Becky dive out of the way of his shot, the bullet flying straight through the door and lodging itself in the lockers across the hall with a ping.

Coach Beiste lay motionless on the floor. Becky seemed to panic and took off running.

"Coach," Artie said quietly. Kurt put the safety back on his handgun and dropped to his knees beside Coach Beiste. He quickly set the gun aside and checked for a pulse. Tears streamed his eyes as he looked up and sadly shook his head.

"She…she took a bullet for me," he said in a choked whisper. Artie crawled or rather dragged himself across the floor over to him. He wrapped his arms around Kurt who fell into the embrace and sobbed into the younger boy's shoulder.

There were several moments of silence before footsteps were heard and Coach Sylvester appeared in the doorway again, accompanied by part of the swat team. They were there to save the remaining kids in the choir room but were notified that two students were still unaccounted for. And that was all Kurt needed to remember Blaine.

He dried up his tears as the swat team tended to the three students still in the room. Paramedics returned as he stood and collected his gun. But he couldn't bare to watch them loading Coach Beiste's body into the body bag. He grabbed his swat helmet and threw his acting face on.

"Get these kids out of here. I'm going to find the two hostages." The rest of the swat team didn't have time to protest as Kurt turned on his heel and headed out of the room. He was soon followed by Coach Sylvester.

"Pretending to be a cop. Nice cover Porcelain," she said. Kurt cringed slightly.

He didn't bother to look back at her but kept walking. "Becky tried to shoot me. Coach Beiste took the shot," he said, surprising himself with how calm he was, despite his racing heartbeat. "She has Blaine and Jake. And you really shouldn't be walking around on an injured foot Coach."

"You're not a student anymore Porcelain. You can call me Sue," she replied, ignoring his comment about her injured foot.

Kurt stopped in his tracks and turned back around to face her. "As nice an option as that sounds, it makes me feel weird," he said, spinning around again and walking off. He needed to find Blaine and Jake. Where would Becky have taken them?

Just then, a phone rang and Kurt halted again. He heard Sue answer it.

"Becky, calm down, think rationally. Where are you?" Kurt knew it was bad to eavesdrop but if this could lead him to where Blaine was, he needed to know. "The roof." Kurt didn't wait to hear the rest of the conversation. He sped off down the hall for the stairs, shoes squeaking on the floor as he skidded around a corner. If Blaine was on the roof…

* * *

Blaine was singing softly to himself, his feet getting very tired from trying to balance on the narrow ledge. But he couldn't give in. One wrong move and he could slip off and who knew how long it would be before that rope gave? Yes, Puck had tied it tight but with Blaine's weight tugging on it, he still doubted he'd be hanging for very long. And Blaine didn't want to test his ability to scramble back up on the ledge.

It was then that he saw Becky burst onto the roof, looking panicked. Oh God, what had happened? Were the police chasing her? There was a swat team in the school after all.

Blaine watched as Becky ran straight to the edge of the roof. She pulled the mask from her face and dissolved into tears, moving to sit on the edge of the roof. She looked over at the ground below. With one trembling hand she placed the barrel of the gun to her temple and with the other, she pulled out a cell phone.

The senior continued to watch as the distraught girl tried desperately to dial a number. It seemed to take her several tries as her hand was shaking so badly but she finally seemed satisfied and placed the phone to her ear.

Blaine strained his ears to hear her side of the conversation.

"Coach! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I've shot people! I've killed people! I've tied up people and I don't deserve to live! I'm turning the gun on myself! It's pressed again my head right now!" the girl choked out between sobs. Blaine felt horror fill him as he realized this could very well be a school shooting that turned into a murder-suicide case. As scary as it was, it happened. It happened when the shooter suddenly became filled with remorse for their actions. "I'm on the roof," he heard her day next.

Blaine tuned out the rest of the apparent conversation, staring at the door he knew lead to the stairs and back down into the school.

It seemed like an eternity but it finally banged open and a swat cop ran through it. But the teenager did a double take. Did swat cops wear Doc Martins? Realization slammed into him like a freight train and it took all of Blaine's strength not to call out Kurt's name.

Kurt made a beeline for Becky, who immediately regained her resolve when she saw him. She hung up the phone and snapped it shut, standing shakily to her feet. Quietly, she removed the gun from the side of her head and pointed it in Blaine's direction. It was quite a distance for a clear shot but there was no guarantee it would miss him.

"One more step Hummel and I'll shoot him," she said, voice surprisingly solid after her breakdown over the phone. It was then that Kurt's eyes found Blaine and he drew a breath.

Blaine, though still scared shitless knew he had to remain calm. "Whatever you do Kurt, don't go against her orders," he said shortly. Kurt opened his mouth, perhaps to protest but Blaine shook his head and he closed it again. Instead he pulled the swat helmet off again and dropped it on the ground.

"Becky," he said quite calmly. "Put the gun down. You don't want to do this."

Becky kept the weapon pointed at Blaine and started inching along the roof so that she was closer to him, in a better position to make a direct hit, should she fire the weapon. Blaine noted that she lowered the gun slightly so that it was aimed at the rope tying his wrists together and he had a sudden realization of what she planned to do. Subconsciously, he turned his head and looked back over his shoulder.

The move caused one of his feet to slip and Blaine stumbled, his left foot waving in the air as he struggled to regain his balance on the narrow ledge. Kurt let out a yelp. It was a few agonizing seconds before Blaine managed to regain his balance and it seemed both of them let out breaths they hadn't realized they'd been holding.

"You don't Hummel!" Becky cried. "You have no idea what it's like!" Kurt through her a look.

"Becky," he said firmly but not unkindly. "You have always been proud and very high on the social ladder. I have always been bullied worse than perhaps anyone in the school. I even had my life threatened in junior year. I know what it's like to be born with something you can't control."

Becky stared at him. She continued to inch closer to Blaine. She didn't say anything.

The door to the roof burst open again and Coach Sylvester limped out of it. "Becky Jackson, halt right there," she commanded. The girl froze, gun still pointing at Blaine's wrists. She stared at Sue. "Why did you take young Bert Reynolds hostage Becky?" she asked.

Suddenly, any care Becky harbored for the cheerleading coach dissolved and her face became completely emotionless. "Why? Why?! Because he was born different and yet he has someone who loves him!" she shouted, glaring pointedly at Kurt. "Well no more!"

In the next instant, she fired the gun. The bullet ripped through the rope tying Blaine's hands together, grazing the skin of his wrists and he fell.

"BLAINE!" Kurt shouted, dropping the gun he was holding on the ground and running to the edge. Blaine, with his quick reflexes had caught his grip on the ledge and was now dangling above the city street, his grip slipping. "Give me your hand!" Kurt cried, reaching down to grip it. Blaine tentatively lifted one hand to grip Kurt's. "I won't let to of you Blaine, I promise," Kurt whispered as he started to pull on Blaine to help him climb back up over the ledge to safety.

What neither of them knew was that Becky had attempted to fire her gun again and found it out of bullets. She'd sprinted for the gun Kurt had dropped and when Sue tried to stop, her, she'd hit the cheerleading coach over the head with the handgun, knocking her out cold.

"Night, night Porcelain," she said quietly to herself, removing the safety and firing one single shot.

Kurt had almost succeeded in pulling Blaine over the ledge when the bullet struck him in the back. Wide-eyed for a split moment, his grip slid from Blaine's hand as he feel unconscious to the ground.

"KURT!" Blaine cried. Without thinking, he reached for the older boy and started to fall backward as his grip back on the roof wasn't stable yet. He saw his whole life flash before his eyes and then…a hand caught him strong by the wrist. Blaine looked up to see Puck and Jake looking down on him.

"Told you it pays to carry a pocketknife," Puck said. He easily pulled Blaine back onto the roof. Blaine knew he had to thank him but his immediate reaction was to run to Kurt's side. The pale boy was lying unconscious and face down on the ground. His swat jacket was stained with blood from where the bullet had lodged itself in his lower back.

Blaine broke down in tears.

The next few minutes were a blur as the rest of the swat team burst onto the roof. Blaine could not comprehend what was happening but Becky was subdued and arrested. The next moment he really comprehended was when he found himself in the back of an ambulance outside the school. They were cleaning up the cuts on his chest and damage to his wrists from rope burn and where the bullet had grazed him.

But all Blaine could think about in that moment was Kurt. What if he died and it was all Blaine's fault.

He needed Kurt to live.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry! But I can't have it be all fluff an rainbows yet right? Sorry, sorry, sorry! I didn't want to kill off someone else but Kurt would have seemed too prepared for a quickly formulated plan if he had on a bulletproof vest and I couldn't think of anywhere else the bullet could logically hit Coach Beiste when she jumped in the way. Furthermore, she was the only logical choice to do that. The only other person still in the choir room who would have known Kurt well enough to want to save his life was Artie and he obviously wouldn't have been able too. I suppose Wade could have because of idolization but she was all the way across the room and wouldn't have gotten there in time. So, what's going to happen to Kurt now? How about Becky? And it is known that some school shootings have been murder-suicides and I think canon Becky would have at least considered it. This is rather long so reviews make me smile! Happy reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm really on a roll here. Third chapter I've done today but I feel bad about leaving things hanging with Kurt unconscious and stuff. This story is likely still far from over. I think I'm going to continue into the aftermath and do a court trial against Becky. It just feels like I'm coming up short ending it here. And I have to put Klaine back together still too! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: You know me and you know I don't own Glee.**

* * *

Too bright light. White ceiling, awful looking bed curtains on a rack, a steady beeping sound in his ears. These were the first things Kurt was aware of when he opened his eyes. He blinked, trying to clear his vision.

A groan left his lips, alerting the figure sitting in the chair beside his bed, one hand clasping Kurt's.

"Oh my God!" the figure cried and Kurt cringed slightly before recognizing the voice as belonging to Blaine.

"Blaine…" he rasped out.

Blaine squeezed his hand and looked down at him, smiling, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks, though Kurt could tell he has been crying an awful lot lately. Still, there was no one Kurt would have been happier to see. Not even his dad and that was saying something.

"What happened?" he asked, trying to sit up straighter in the bed and wincing as the movement put a painful strain on his lower back.

"Becky…" Blaine started with a sniff. "She shot in the back Kurt."

Kurt's eyes got really wide as the memories of the shooting at McKinley came rushing back to him. They were coupled with the realization of how serious this was. Shot in the back. If the bullet had pierced his spinal cord…

Blaine seemed to catch on to what he was thinking and squeezed his had again. "You were very lucky Kurt. The bullet just missed your spinal cord, but it shattered a few of your vertebrae." That was extremely lucky. How the hell had it missed his spinal cord. But Blaine apparently wasn't finished. "That's the good news," he said, face falling.

"What's the bad news?" Kurt asked quietly. He was afraid to know.

Blaine drew a breath. "The spinal cord wasn't hit by the bullet but the fractured bones in your spine caused the section of your spinal cord where you were hit to swell. When the doctors performed surgery on your back to stable the fractures and set bones so they could heal, they found the task more complicated due to the swelling of your spinal cord. They don't know the excess of the damage but they said at the very least, you might be temporarily paralyzed from the waist down."

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. This was spinal cord suppression. Kurt couldn't bare to think about being paralyzed.

"My life is over before it began," he mumbled quietly.

"Hey no, don't think like that Kurt. You have to stay positive. If it's temporary paralysis than you can go back to NYADA after you recover," he said, squeezing his hand.

Kurt gave him an exasperated look. "We have no idea how long temporary paralysis could be if it is only temporary," he said, pleased with himself for managing not to snap at him. Blaine was only trying to help after. "NYADA's never going to put up with it." He gave his head a sad shake.

Blaine looked down at him for a moment before lifting his hand and placing a gentle kiss to the back of it. "I'm so sorry Kurt. But thank you for trying to rescue me."

It was then Kurt remembered exactly what he had been doing when he'd been shot and he stared at Blaine in wonder. "How are you safe?" he asked, willing himself not to cry. He was sure Blaine had fallen to his death and yet he was standing right beside the bed, looking completely alive and well.

"Puck," Blaine said. "He turned up out of nowhere and caught me before I could fall," he concluded with a soft smile.

"Remind me to thank him later," Kurt replied.

"For what?" Blaine asked, still smiling at him.

Kurt just stared back at him for several long moments before he took a breath and said very softly in a voice barely above a whisper, "For saving the love of my life."

Blaine's breath hitched. He stared back at Kurt, eyes unblinking and wondering if the pale boy had just said what he thought he did. Kurt gave a very short nod of the head and Blaine couldn't help himself anymore. He leaned down and pressed his lips softly to Kurt's.

The pale boy gasped at the contact but didn't pull away. He gently kissed Blaine back, eyes fluttering shut and fireworks bursting in his head. This was right. Blaine was who he should be kissing. Not Adam. And it didn't matter that the younger boy had hurt him so badly. Kurt knew Blaine would never do it again. Blaine was his soulmate and that had always been true. It had taken him just a little more time to really grasp a hold of that.

"I forgive you," Kurt whispered against Blaine's lips when the two of them finally broke apart.

"You're beautiful Kurt," Blaine whispered back.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Please Blaine. I look awful. I'm sitting in a hospital bed wearing a hideous gown with no real back to it and I bet they haven't been conditioning my hair."

That was enough to cause Blaine to break out in laughter. "Oh Kurt," he said when he had calmed down. "Only you can be in the hospital with a serious injury and have your biggest worry be your hair." He shook his head, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"What's the prognosis?" Kurt asked a moment later, becoming very serious again. Blaine sat back in the chair he'd been sitting in.

"Coach Beiste and Ryder are gone. The school is planning on holding a memorial for them soon." Kurt felt his eyes begin to water. He didn't know Ryder that well but Coach Beiste was the best coach the McKinley High Titans ever had. Replacing her was going to be a nightmare. And though Kurt had never been on the team while she was coach, he still had a lot of respect for her. At the same time, he felt guilty.

"She died because of me," he said quietly.

"What?" Blaine asked, astounded.

Kurt looked at him. "Coach Beiste died because of me Blaine. Becky fired meant that bullet for me. She shot it at me. Coach Beiste jumped in the way and took it for me, much like you took that slushie for me last year."

Blaine was surprised by this news. He has never expected anything like that. He squeezed Kurt's hand.

"It's not your fault Kurt. She made the decision to jump in the way of the bullet, just like I made the decision to jump in the way of the slushie." Kurt merely hummed. He still felt guilty for being the cause of the football coach's death but he knew that Blaine was right.

He waited a beat before continuing his enquiry. "What about everyone else?" he asked.

"Sam and Mr. Schue are doing okay. Their injuries are healing but Sam can't walk for a while and Mr. Schue has his arm in a sling to keep his shoulder from moving too much," Blaine said.

"And Kitty?" Kurt asked nervously, remembering the girl having been shot in the stomach.

"She needed immediate surgery and a blood transfusion but she's expected to make a full recovery." Kurt was honestly just glad that no one else seemed to have been killed in the shooting.

There was a knock on the door and both boys looked over to see Coach Sylvester standing in the doorway. She was on crutches and had a bandage wrapped around her head.

"Mind if I interrupt?" she said. Kurt and Blaine gestured for her to come on in. "I must admit, you were very brave Kurt," she said.

Kurt stared at her for a moment. "No Porcelain?" he asked, teasingly.

Sue gave him a smile. "I'm trying to be serious for once. This is not a joking matter and I feel a bit guilty for what happened to you Kurt," she said.

Kurt furrowed his brow, not at all sure what she was going on about. "Why?"

It was Blaine who answered him. "She tried to stop Becky when she went for your handgun Kurt," he said. Kurt was confused.

"Why did Becky go for my gun?" he asked. He had been facing away from Becky and Sue when he was trying to pull Blaine up from the ledge so he hadn't seen anything that had gone on behind him.

"Because hers ran out of bullets," Sue replied. "Anyway, I tried to stop her from getting it and she conked me on the head." She looked down at the floor. "I don't know why Becky did any of this, or why she turned on me after all I did for her. She was going to shoot herself you know," she finished.

Kurt's eyes went wide. "The conversation I heard you having with her on phone when you were following me in the hallway." Sue nodded.

"I heard Becky's end of it," Blaine said. "She was sitting on the edge of the roof with the gun pressed to her head. If she had gone through with it, she would have used the last bullet on herself and fallen to the street below," he explained.

"Instead, when I showed up," Kurt started, "She seemed to pull herself together."

"And that final bullet was used to break the ropes tying Blaine's wrists around the pole," Sue concluded.

For a moment, the three of them were silent. Even with all this discussion and realization of things that happened by hearing certain events from someone else's point of view, none of them could fathom just why Becky had done it. But something was seriously wrong with the girl. Kurt couldn't understand what happened.

"We're all going to have to testify you know," Sue finally said. Kurt looked at her.

"Testify?" he asked.

Blaine squeezed his hand again and sighed. "Becky was arrested Kurt. Seeing as she's eighteen, she being charged with a felony and tried as an adult. Murder and attempted murder and physical assault."

Kurt stared at him with wide eyes. "You can't be serious! Becky's got Down Syndrome. Surely she'd be released on the charge of disability and possible mental instability, even if the latter is not due to her condition."

Blaine and Sue exchanged glances with each other.

"They wanted to Porcelain," Sue said. "They wanted to just relinquish charges and release her to the custody of a program where she could get help." Kurt wasn't understanding why that didn't happen. "But it's like I told William when I first put Becky on the Cheerios. She just wants to be treated like everyone else."

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked.

Blaine gave him a small smile. "Becky told them no. She didn't want to be belittled for what she did because of her disabilities. She said she would hold her head high and be tried just like any other person who could have committed the crime. So they respected her wishes."

Kurt was surprised by this. He felt a swell of admiration for the girl, despite what she had done. She could have gotten off easy but no, she didn't want that. It was a sign that perhaps Becky was remorseful for what she had done after all. She was a very smart girl. She knew it was wrong. But still, it didn't exactly answer the question of why.

"Do you think she'll accept a plea bargain?" he asked. Both of them shrugged.

"Not a clue," Blaine replied. "It's not known whether she's pleading guilty or innocent."

Kurt furrowed his brow for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Well, given what you just told me, I think it would be extremely odd for her plead innocent." And another thought crossed his mind then. "And it's one hundred percent doubtful she'll plead insanity."

"Unless that's what her lawyer wants her to plead," Sue said.

Kurt shook his head. "No. It would just land her exactly where they wanted to put her in the first place. If she wanted to be tried like any other person, it wouldn't make sense for her to plead insanity, regardless of what her lawyer thinks."

He was right of course. Why tell them she wanted to be tried like anyone else just to turn around and plead insanity in court? That would be pointless and unnecessary. It would make the trial a waste of time spent on a case that could have been easily closed up if she had agreed in the first place.

There was another knock at the door and the three of them looked up to find a police officer standing in the doorway. Kurt cringed when he saw that it was Officer West. Great, he was about to be charged with imitating a police officer.

"Go on, do it," Kurt said, holding out his wrists. Blaine looked confused.

"Kurt?" he questioned, not knowing what was going on. Kurt cringed and gave him a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, I uh…may have pretended to be a police officer so I could get into the school," he told Blaine who stared at him wide-eyed.

"Oh Kurt," he whispered, squeezing his hand.

Officer West, to Kurt's surprise, didn't slap handcuffs on his wrists but handed him a badge. A real honest to goodness badge.

"I'm not going to arrest you Mr. Hummel," Officer West said.

Kurt stared at him for a moment. "But why? Imitating a police officer especially during a dangerous situation is an offense," he said, looking away for a moment. Officer West chuckled.

"That may be true but we're letting you off the hook here. For one, you were very brave and handled the whole situation like a real cop. That's a lot for a nineteen year old kid who probably never wanted to hold a handgun in his life," he told him, looking between Kurt and Blaine and Sue. "And for another, you found the shooter before the real swat team could. So, I am instead honoring you and rewarding you with an authentic honorary police badge that had your real name on it."

Kurt was overwhelmed, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. "T-thank you sir," he said, taking the badge from him.

"You're welcome Kurt. By the way," he said, "Our research showed there really was an Officer Harper in the Columbus Police Department once."

Kurt nodded proudly. "Yes sir," he said. "My mother's father was Officer Harper sir," he added.

"You don't say." Kurt just grinned. "Well, he was a pretty popular police officer apparently. You might think about joining the force for real someday, you have his skill."

Kurt laughed and shook his head. "Thanks Officer West but my heart is set on musical theater. Besides, it looks like I might be facing paralysis." His face fell and Officer West clapped a hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"Hey, chin up kid. It will be okay. No one as brave as your were would ever be punished with full paralysis," he said.

"Brave? Contrary. I was fucking terrified," Kurt admitted. He looked at Blaine. "I only wanted in the school to find Blaine," he added. Blaine smiled at him. "I just, felt I had to rescue him."

"You did rescue me Kurt," Blaine said softly. Kurt frowned.

"No I didn't. Puck did. I got shot in the back and you almost fell to your death," he said in a defeated tone.

"Kurt look at me," Blaine began and Kurt turned his eyes on him. "You rescued me. You were the first one to find me. And don't say Puck found me first because we went to him."

Kurt furrowed his brow. "What?" he asked, slightly confused. Officer West had taken out a pad of paper and was apparently thinking whatever Blaine was about to say could be used as case notes. Probably smart.

"Becky made Jake call him. Told him to tell Puck if he hoped to see Jake alive again, he would meet her on the roof in an hour."

"When did this happen?" Kurt asked.

Blaine shrugged. "Sometime after I answered the call from you. At that time, she had us backstage at the auditorium. She'd just slashed the cuts in my chest and then threw a phone at Jake and told him to call Puck." He paused for a moment and Kurt gave him a gesture to go on. Sue was listening quietly as Blaine talked. This was hostage situation information. "So then, an hour later, she dragged us up to the roof with her. She grabbed Jake and for the first time, put the gun to his head."

"Wait," Kurt interrupted, stopping him. "What do you mean for the first time? I thought she was holding both of you hostage."

Blaine took a breath. "She was. But every time she made us walk, she shoved the gun into the back of my head. She was always threatening me with it, never Jake. I still don't know why."

Kurt frowned. "Okay, so she threatened Jake with the gun, then what?"

"She told Puck to tie me to the pole. When Puck refused because of the narrow ledge, she cocked the gun and placed her finger in the trigger and repeated the command."

"So Puck tied you to the pole," Kurt confirmed. Blaine nodded.

"I don't know what happened after that. I wasn't even aware she had left the roof until I saw her emerge from the stairs again later." He gave a soft sigh.

"And that was when she made the call to Sue," Kurt replied.

"That was when she made the call to Sue," Blaine confirmed. He looked up at Officer West. "I'm sorry I can't tell you what she did with Puck and Jake but it must not have been bad because neither of them are hurt obviously."

Officer West nodded. "No worries Mr. Anderson. You've provided quite a bit. We'll likely want to ask you and Mr. Hummel more questions later but for now, just try to recover."

He gave the three of them a nod of his head and made to leave the room. Kurt instinctively turned his eyes on his legs and tried with all his might to move one of them and not a thing happened. He couldn't even seem to feel them there.

"Try to recover," he scoffed. "Yeah, easy for him to say."

* * *

**A/N: So this was a rather informative chapter. Though there really is nothing covered in explanation of what happened that you didn't read in the action. :P More coming up! Now the drama switches to Kurt's recovery and dealing with his paralysis and the trial and preparation, police interviews, news interviews, building evidence and all the dramatics that come with the aftermath of the shooting, including the memorial service. Stay tuned! Reviews make me smile! Happy reading!**


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